(Redirected from Annaba (city))
'Annaba' (, ''; formerly 'Bône') is a city in the north-eastern corner of
Algeria near the river Seybouse and the
Tunisian border. It is located in the
Annaba Province. It has a population of 348.554 (
1998 census).
History
:''See
Hippo Regius for Classical and Ecclesiastical history''
Annaba has provided evidence of remarkable workmanship in
tool-making. Early remnants of hominid occupation have been found in Ain el Hanech, near Saïda (ca. 200,000 before the present). Later, modern human (''Homo sapiens'') tool makers produced artefacts in the
Levalloisian and
Mousterian styles from well before 100,000 years ago, similar to those in the Levant. According to some sources,
prehistoric Algeria was the site of the highest state of development of Middle Stone Age (or Middle
Paleolithic) flake-tool techniques. Tools of this era, starting from at least as early as about 85,000 years ago, are called
Aterian (after the site Bir el Ater), south of Annaba in the north-eastern corner of Algeria. These tools are marked by a high standard of workmanship, great variety, and specialization. See
Prehistory of Central North Africa.
Annaba, which was called
Hippo Regius during
Roman times, was probably established by the
Phoenicians in the
12th century BC. It was a centre of early
Christianity.
Augustine of Hippo was bishop here from
396 until
430. The city has Christian,
Muslim and Roman buildings.
During French rule the city was known as Bône, and was one of the main European settlements with a sizeable
pied-noir minority. One famous
pied-noir from Bône was
Alphonse Juin, a
Marshal of France and a former NATO Central Europe Commander.
Education
One of Annaba's most notable institutes is
Annaba University. As of 2004, there are over 40,000 students enrolled.
Transportation
Annaba is served by
Rabah Bitat Airport. It is an international airport and is represented by the
IATA airport code AAE.
It also has an excellent intercity road infrastructure, and bus services running fairly often between the Wilaya capital and other cities.
There is a railway network connecting Annaba to
Oran via
Constantine and
Algiers. Some local trains are also available.
External links
★
Annaba City
★
Annaba